


Love

by Gemology



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Romance, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-06 20:44:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5430215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemology/pseuds/Gemology
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, you have to make tough choices for the one you love. In the end, love conquers all, but the struggle to build a relationship isn't easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Homeworld was never the most friendly of places. It was made of rules and regulations and respect for authority. Even so, there were those who formed bonds with each other, who preferred the company of a certain or a few certain gems. Most just considered it to be a tactical preference- after all, some gems were better in battle together than others.

So it was that Ruby and Sapphire met, and formed a strong bond with each other. They'd fused a few times, in secret, since it was really a frowned upon act on Homeworld. It was a nice feeling, their bodies intertwining into one being, but it was always bittersweet knowing it couldn't last.

One day, the news of Rose Quartz's rebellion reached their ears. All gems were called to act, to join the war and destroy Rose Quartz and her army. She was fighting for some worthless planet somewhere out in the universe. She was interfering with the Homeworld's plans for total domination. Who cared about some  _living_  beings? Gems were more powerful, better, stronger, and ageless. The lives on this planet, this  _Earth_ , barely made it to a century old before ceasing to exists.

It was absurd that Rose Quartz thought that she was going to win, when Homeworld had a much larger army. As if the gems on Homeworld weren't enough, there were all the gems they'd been manufacturing at the Kindergarten. Yes, Rose Quartz was a fool, and so were those that chose to join her. Her efforts would surely prove futile, and those that stood with her would be crushed.


	2. Takes Time

It wasn't hard for Sapphire to find Ruby. She was always at the shipyard, tinkering with or fixing ships, or helping unload supplies. She was a strong gem, great at lifting things and getting a job done. Sapphire had always admired her stamina, despite her size. Today, Sapphire knew she had to make a choice between right and Ruby.

Sapphire came up behind the red gem, cautiously reaching out a hand to tap her shoulder. "Ruby?" she called out her name.

Ruby whirled around. "Sapphire! I didn't expect to see you today." she resisted the urge to hug her friend, though everything inside her begged her to. But there were far too many other gems working, watching. "What brings you here?"

"I need to talk with you." she nervously twiddled her fingers together.

"Sapphire? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Ruby grabbed at Sapphire's hand, examining her gem closely.  _No cracks,_  she surveyed with relief.

Sapphire pulled her hand back gently. "I'm fine. Can we go somewhere else?"

Ruby looked around at the other gems working, and at all the ships docked. "That one over there just got unloaded, so it should still be empty." Finding a place to be alone had always been a challenge for them, but they'd always made due with whatever they could find at the time.

The pair headed towards the empty ship. Most gems didn't pay any mind to the activities of other gems, focusing only on their task at hand. Of course, they were all loyal to the Homeworld, so if there was ever any talk of rebellion or fusion, it would no doubt be reported immediately. Everyone knew that everyone else was a spy, and there was always someone watching.

When they were inside the ship, Ruby gave a quick look around for any other gems or cameras. Assured that they were really alone, she nearly toppled Sapphire over, peppering her with kisses and holding her tight. "S-Sapphy, I lov-" But Sapphire pushed her away, and Ruby looked bewildered at her unusual behaviour.

"Ruby-" Sapphire fiddled with her hair, running her fingers through it as she struggled to make eye contact. "-I'm going to fight for Earth. I'm going to join Rose Quartz."

Ruby's mouth fell open in shock. She waited for a few seconds, anticipating that Sapphire was making some kind of sick joke. But it wasn't, and Sapphire just stared at her, awaiting a reaction. "What?!" Ruby hissed through her teeth, trying to keep her voice down. "You can't side with those traitors!"

"What Homeworld is doing isn't right-"

"SHHH! Someone might hear you." Ruby gave another look around the ship, just to be sure.

But Sapphire just continued, "Why should I care? Ruby, I'm leaving for Earth."

"N-No!" Ruby grabbed at her hair in frustration. "What about me?" she looked up, liquid forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Are you coming with me or not?" Sapphire crossed her arms determinedly.

"NO WAY! Homeworld will crush you! What about US? Don't you care about US?!" Ruby wiped an arm across her eyes. She didn't like it when Sapphire saw her cry. Crying was a sign of weakness, and Ruby was not a weak gem.

"Ruby." Sapphire moved towards her, using her thumbs to wipes tears from Ruby's eyes. "I do care about your. You're very important to me." Sapphire kissed Ruby's forehead. "But Homeworld is killing a planet. Once they destroy this one, who knows what they'll do? Gems can't just go around killing creatures because we think we're stronger. All life matters, even those that are short lived. Rose Quartz isn't just fighting for Earth, she's fighting for all the life in the universe. Don't you understand?"

Ruby's mind was racing, trying to think of something to make Sapphire stay. Sapphire had always been strong willed, and Ruby had a difficult time convincing her of anything. "Why are you siding with someone who turned on their own kind?" Was all she could manage to spit out.

"I can't make you understand. But I'm leaving." Sapphire turned are started walking towards the exit.

"Sapphire, just-" Ruby reached out a weak hand, and then let it fall to her side. "-keep yourself safe."

And that was the last Ruby and Sapphire saw of each other, until many years later.


	3. Takes Work

War is never pretty, nor simple, nor easy. It's especially difficult to be away from the one you love while you're in it. Sapphire and Ruby fought in hundreds of battles all over the Earth. So widespread was the war, and so many were involved, that they assumed they would never see each other again. Whichever side won, the other side would be destroyed. There was very little chance of the two crossing paths again. But by chance, it happened, one day on the battlefield.

For one so small, Sapphire sure could hold her own in a fight. With her spiked fisticuffs, quick speed, and future vision, gems much larger than herself usually didn't stand a chance. She was wiry, spry, something not often seen among fighting gems. Though most of the Homeworld gems she had defeated were muscled and well built, her agility seemed to give her an advantage.

Ruby was scrappy. Though she may have been strong for someone of her size, most of the opponents she faced were much bigger than she. She did notice that Rose Quartz seemed to surround herself with a very ragtag bunch – those that were defective or imperfect, those that that Homeworld would have cast out. They were not the best of fighters, while Ruby had been training her whole existence.

And even though most seemed to be weaker, somehow they kept coming back. It wasn't just poofed gems that were reappearing, it was cracked gems, mysteriously healed and back in action. The first few times Ruby had written it off as the strains of war wearing on her and making her see things. But soon it became undeniable that she had fought some of the same enemies multiple times. What was going on?

It was the middle of a battle. The field was expansive, and Ruby was looking around for any Crystal Gems that needed defeating. Several feet away, she spotted a familiar figure: Sapphire! There was a much larger Homeworld gem in front of her, brandishing a huge hammer. Sapphire was holding her own for the moment, but she seemed to be struggling.

Ruby stood still for a few moments, conflicted on what to do. Sapphire was the enemy now, and Ruby couldn't help the enemy. Sapphire had betrayed everything that Homeworld stood for, all the destruction and disallowing of fusion and work and rules and... and...

It finally hit Ruby that maybe Sapphire had been right. Maybe everything that she had been taught by the Homeworld, everything she thought was right, wasn't true. But Homeworld was her home. How could she turn her back on the place that had raised her? Raised her to what, fight other gems? Suck the life out of worlds? Let the most important gem in the world to her fight alone? Ruby's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Then she realized, who cared if Sapphire was right? She was in trouble!

The red gem sprinted across the field, barreling towards Sapphire. Her weapon was already out, her trusty solid gloves ready to punch the daylights out of whoever dared mess with Sapphire. Just as the blue gem lost her balance and fell backwards, Ruby stepped in front of the giant weapon.

She punched it with both her gloves, which was a mistake. She'd wanted to make a grand entrance, to be a daring hero and save Sapphire. She was always rushing into things. But she'd underestimated how much power was in the hammer, and was knocked backwards.

Sapphire was almost too shocked to move at the appearance of Ruby, but after the red gem was thrown back, she knew she had to take the opening it presented. She swiftly dealt with the enemy, striking true and causing her to retreat into her gem.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Sapphire ran over to her fallen friend. Normally, when gems were stunned, they were back up in an instant. This was especially true of Ruby. The red gem was tough as nails, and always looking to prove that. But Ruby just laid on the battlefield, very still. Of course, she obviously wasn't dead, since her body wouldn't still exist if it had been seriously injured.

"S-Sapphire." Ruby reached toward Sapphire her with her left hand. Despite being not having many outward battle wounds, there was definitely something wrong.

Sapphire gasped as she caught sight of Ruby's gem. She fell to her knees, grasping at the hand that held the other's gem. She stared down at the fractured stone, eyes taking in every imperfect etch that was now there. "Why would you do that?!" she yelled, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Because... you're important to me." Ruby winced as the crack in her gem increased.

"R-Ruby! Just hold on, e-everything's going to be o-okay!" Sapphire managed through sobs. She stood up and looked around the battlefield, but all she could see were gems fighting other gems. Sapphire was panicking. She had to do something! If Ruby's gem shattered, then there was no hope. At least with a cracked gem, Ruby was still able to hold her form together.

"Don't cry, Sapphy." Ruby used her thumb to wipe off Sapphire's face, with the same hand that held her gem. Of course, Sapphire had seen possibilities where Ruby and herself were reunited, in many different ways. But she had dismissed all of them, not daring to get her hopes up. Knowing Ruby, she would stubbornly side with Homeworld even if the rebels won the war.

Sapphire was afraid. Even if Ruby still sided with Homeworld, Sapphire still cared for her. She had convinced herself she'd never see Ruby again – and if she did, it would be as an enemy. But Ruby had protected her. Even though she had sided with Homeworld, she had never stopped caring for Sapphire. And now that they were together again, Sapphire might lose her. She was searching, follow so many paths that led to a life without Ruby, searching for one where she survived. There _had_ to be one.

Suddenly she realized the solution. "Rose." she whispered. She scooped up Ruby in her arms, hugging her close to her body. Partially to keep her safe, and partially because she had missed her ever since she left, and nothing more than to be close to her. Sapphire rushed across the battlefield, doing her best to avoid any other gems, searching with both her eyes and her mind for Rose Quartz.

"Sapphire?" Ruby struggled to remove herself from Sapphire's grasp, but the other gem held firm. Ruby was not one to easily accept help from others, whether she was dying or not. This was especially true of Sapphire, a gem who she had always worked hard to impress on Homeworld, and whose life she may have just saved. "Where we going?"

Sapphire kept her eye forward, face full of determination as she replied, "Rose Quartz." Sapphire was not usually one to mince words, but perhaps an explanation would have prevented Ruby from panicking.

"Sapphire, let me go! Please!" she pushed her hands against Sapphire's body, trying to struggle free. But the blue gem was stronger than she looked, and Ruby's flailing was in vain.

"Ruby, stop or you'll hurt yourself." Sapphire said as calmly as she could.

Even though she wouldn't admit it, Ruby had been looking for Sapphire ever since she'd left Homeworld. Every time a new ship came in, she'd hoped that Sapphire would be on it. Every time a gem tapped her on the shoulder or called her name, for a faint moment she thought it was Sapphire. She'd waited so long, and her patience had finally paid off. Her search was finally over. Sapphire was safe, and alive, even if she was still a traitor. So much of a traitor that she was taking her directly to Rose Quartz, no doubt to finish the job on her cracked gem and shatter her for good. What did it matter to Sapphire if she hurt herself?!

"She can help. Trust me." A smile of hope peeked across Sapphire's face. Ruby never trusted anyone after so many gems had turned against Homeworld during the rebellion. Ever before she'd met Sapphire, she hadn't trusted anyone. She believed every gem should look out for themselves, and no one else. But if she really believed that, why had she put herself in danger to save Sapphire? Why had she ever started caring for Sapphire at all?

It didn't matter. She'd cracked her gem, and there was no way she would last much longer. She'd betrayed Homeworld in defending Sapphire against one of her own. She was going to die. If her gem didn't fully split before they reached the leader of the rebel gems, Rose Quartz would make certain it did. And if she was let go, no doubt Homeworld would discover her betrayal and get rid of her. Whatever happened, Ruby knew that there was no way she'd live to see another day.

At least she'd gotten to see Sapphire one last time.


	4. Is Patient

Ruby had always been hot headed. Always rushing into things. It seemed to be a trait of rubies, just as many gems of the same type had common traits. Jaspers were brash, bold warriors, zoisite's were skilled tool makers, peridot's were good for technological issues, scapolite's were excellent for entertainment, pearl's were good for storage, thulite's were good record keepers, pyrite's were exceptional excavators – everyone had their place. Rubies were fiery small fighters – their red color only serving to reinforce the fire within.

Sapphires were calm and collected – very much an exact opposite of a ruby. It wasn't often that the two worked together, due to their conflicting personalities. The one thing that could make the two a powerful team was there where one had a weakness, the other seemed to fill in the gaps perfectly. Although a ruby's instinct to run into things often negated the exemplary planning and strategy that a sapphire offered.

So it was odd that Ruby and Sapphire would have met at all. And yet, for some reason, this Ruby was willing to work in cooperation with a Sapphire – most of the time. More often than any other Ruby. Perhaps it was their similarly placed gemstones. While Sapphire's lay on her right, Ruby's lay on her left. In humans, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, while the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. The right brain commonly makes decisions based on emotions and subjective information, while the left brain is more likely examine the objective, logical, and analytical aspects of a scenario before taking action.

Perhaps this bit of right brain/left brain science drew Ruby and Sapphire to each other. In a way they would not admit while on Homeworld, they completed each other – right brain and left brain. Left hand and right hand.

Both struggled with patience with each other. Ruby wanted to be patient, and slow, because that's how Sapphire was. It was very difficult at first, as she was denying her natural instincts. But when she was calm, Sapphire wanted to be around her more often, and that pleased Ruby immensely. She was always trying to better herself for Sapphire's sake. If she could make Sapphire happy, then she was happy, even if she couldn't do things in the way she preferred.

Though one of Sapphire's default emotions was patience, with Ruby it could be difficult. She often didn't think before taking action, which led to herself getting injured, someone else getting injured, or something breaking because she hadn't been careful. But who was Sapphire to try to change who Ruby was? Even though Ruby made mistakes all the time, for some reason she never did stop doing things without considering the future consequences. And yet, she didn't seem to be frustrated by all the mistakes she made. She just kept going, moving on to the next task even if she'd horribly failed the previous.

Sapphire was always so careful to use her future vision to look into the future, to avoid making mistakes herself. She had noticed that Ruby seemed to calm down the more they spent time together. She'd pause, ever so slightly, examining a situation before diving into a task. It was subtle, but Sapphire was very detail oriented. Where Ruby used to rush forward, now she took but a moment to look back and forth. She avoided running into gems and getting hit by transports a lot more often nowadays. Of course, Sapphire knew if she were to bring it up, that Ruby would deny it and likely go back to her old habits to show Sapphire that she hadn't changed.

And yet, though this was seen as a positive change by the two, it was also dangerous. Different types of gems were expected to behave in specific ways. Even if those ways were not the most effective, there was a normality that all followed. No one questioned their role in society. Their gemstone determined that. But were rubies always so reckless? Or had they merely been following suit of their fellow rubies, who thousands of years ago were trained to act a certain way?

If one ruby could change, could break the mold that was expected, did that mean other rubies could? Did that mean other gems could? Those that did not follow the standard were considered defective and useless. But were free-thinkers really broken, or did they merely express an interest in questioning the status quo?

So though it may not have been obvious to an outside observer, Ruby and Sapphire caused subtle changes in each other's behavior. Of course, once Sapphire left, all that was reversed in Ruby. When Sapphire had come along, Ruby had something more to live for than herself, a reason to care about her survival and the continued preservation of her gem. With Sapphire gone, Ruby fell back into her impulsive temperament. Sapphire, on the other hand, became more absorbed with analyzing the future, rather than living in the present. It was likely this that led to her endangerment on the battlefield.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work, please consider buying me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/gemology


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